TCP/IP often used as a communication protocol between apparatuses uses IP addresses as information for identifying the apparatuses. When TCP/IP is used, IP addresses uniquely defined need to be allocated to apparatuses on a network, respectively.
As a method of determining an IP address for each of apparatuses on a network, a method in which an IP address is provided to each of the apparatuses without any overlap, the IP address is recorded in a recording device included in each of the apparatuses, and each of the apparatuses uses the recorded IP address at the time of startup is employed.
As another method of determining an IP address for each of apparatuses on a network, an RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol) is used. When the RARP is applied, each of the apparatuses performs broadcast transmission of an RARP message to the network at the time of startup. In response to the RARP message, an RARP server on the network distributes an IP address to the transmission source apparatus via the network.
There are also a BOOTP (Boots Trap Protocol) and a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) as IP address distribution methods alternative to the RARP. In either scheme, a server that manages IP addresses distributes an IP address in response to a request from an apparatus, thereby determining the IP address (see, for example, Non Patent Literature 1).